What do you think?
Rate this book
Dear Vincent
Life is really tough for Tara; her older sister has died, her father is ill, and the future seems very bleak. Her only consolations are her love of painting, and Vincent Van Gogh’s art. Will these be enough to give her the strength to get through the dark days?
New Zealand Post Award-winning author Mandy Hager tackles the difficult topic of suicide fearlessly, with a novel that’s not afraid to go to the dark places but which is, ultimately, positive and uplifting.
New Zealand Post Award-winning author Mandy Hager tackles the difficult topic of suicide fearlessly, with a novel that’s not afraid to go to the dark places but which is, ultimately, positive and uplifting.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 7, 2013
13 people are currently reading
1019 people want to read
About the author
Mandy Hager
26 books74 followersMandy Hager is a multi-award winning writer of fiction, most often for young adults. She has won the LIANZA Book Awards for Young Adult fiction 3 times (‘Smashed’ 2008, ‘The Nature of Ash’ 2013, ‘Dear Vincent’ 2014), the NZ Post Children’s Book Awards for YA fiction (‘The Crossing’ 2010), an Honour Award in the 1996 AIM Children’s Book Awards (‘Tom’s Story’), Golden Wings Excellence Award (‘Juno Lucina,’ 2002), Golden Wings Award (‘Run For The Trees’, 2003) and Five Notable Book Awards.
She has also been awarded the 2012 Beatson Fellowship, the 2014 Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship and the 2015 Waikato University Writer in Residence.
In 2015 her novel ‘Singing Home the Whale’ was awarded the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year award, and the Best Young Adult fiction Award from the NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. It has also been named a 2016 IBBY Honour Book, an international award. Her historical novel for adults, titled ‘Heloise’, was long-listed for the Ockham Book Awards.
She is a trained teacher, with an Advanced Diploma in Fine Arts (Whitireia) and an MA in Creative Writing for Victoria University. She also writes adult fiction, short stories, non-fiction, educational resources, blogs and articles, and currently tutors the Novel Course for Whitireia’s Creative Writing Programme.
She has also been awarded the 2012 Beatson Fellowship, the 2014 Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship and the 2015 Waikato University Writer in Residence.
In 2015 her novel ‘Singing Home the Whale’ was awarded the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year award, and the Best Young Adult fiction Award from the NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. It has also been named a 2016 IBBY Honour Book, an international award. Her historical novel for adults, titled ‘Heloise’, was long-listed for the Ockham Book Awards.
She is a trained teacher, with an Advanced Diploma in Fine Arts (Whitireia) and an MA in Creative Writing for Victoria University. She also writes adult fiction, short stories, non-fiction, educational resources, blogs and articles, and currently tutors the Novel Course for Whitireia’s Creative Writing Programme.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
June 13, 2013
Dear Vincent is one of the most powerful, emotionally-charged books I’ve ever read. I don’t think I’ve had such an emotional response to any other book, both adults or YA. The story is narrated by Tara, so you experience all the ups and downs of Tara’s life and you go into the dark spaces inside her head. When you figure out the path that she is taking, you just want to yell at her to stop and think clearly. You want to be the person that she can talk to and help her see sense.
Like Mandy’s other stories, the characters really resonate with me. You understand why Tara has so much anger and hatred towards her parents, but through her discoveries you can also understand why they have become these people. You can’t help but become completely wrapped up in Tara’s life, as you know all her thoughts and feelings. While Tara takes you to some dark places, some of Mandy’s characters bring some light and hope into Tara’s world. My favourite character is Max (or the Professor) who Tara meets in the rest home that she works in. Max is a sort-of grandfather figure to Tara. He loves art, music and philosophy and he reminds Tara of Captain von Trapp from The Sound of Music. Right from when Tara first meets him he’s there to help her through and tries to make her see things from a different point of view. He has some profound words of wisdom, like his metaphor on page 140. This is one of my favourite lines from Max,
‘All life is suffering. One way or the other, damage attaches to us all. In the end it’s how we deal with it – or don’t – that makes us who we are.’
Max’s grandson, Johannes, and Tara’s Auntie Shanaye and Uncle Royan, are others who try to help her through her tough time. They are each incredibly loving and caring in their own ways, and they go out of their way to prove that they are there for Tara. Even though Shanaye and Royan are struggling and they have their own issues to deal with, they are getting on with their life, and they show Tara more love than her parents ever had. While Tara’s parents ran away from The Troubles in Ireland and were miserable, her auntie and uncle stayed and are doing the best that they can for their family.
Dear Vincent is an important story that all teenagers should read. Thank you Mandy for telling Tara’s story. The fact that it can have such an emotional response on a reader is testament to your amazing writing.
Like Mandy’s other stories, the characters really resonate with me. You understand why Tara has so much anger and hatred towards her parents, but through her discoveries you can also understand why they have become these people. You can’t help but become completely wrapped up in Tara’s life, as you know all her thoughts and feelings. While Tara takes you to some dark places, some of Mandy’s characters bring some light and hope into Tara’s world. My favourite character is Max (or the Professor) who Tara meets in the rest home that she works in. Max is a sort-of grandfather figure to Tara. He loves art, music and philosophy and he reminds Tara of Captain von Trapp from The Sound of Music. Right from when Tara first meets him he’s there to help her through and tries to make her see things from a different point of view. He has some profound words of wisdom, like his metaphor on page 140. This is one of my favourite lines from Max,
‘All life is suffering. One way or the other, damage attaches to us all. In the end it’s how we deal with it – or don’t – that makes us who we are.’
Max’s grandson, Johannes, and Tara’s Auntie Shanaye and Uncle Royan, are others who try to help her through her tough time. They are each incredibly loving and caring in their own ways, and they go out of their way to prove that they are there for Tara. Even though Shanaye and Royan are struggling and they have their own issues to deal with, they are getting on with their life, and they show Tara more love than her parents ever had. While Tara’s parents ran away from The Troubles in Ireland and were miserable, her auntie and uncle stayed and are doing the best that they can for their family.
Dear Vincent is an important story that all teenagers should read. Thank you Mandy for telling Tara’s story. The fact that it can have such an emotional response on a reader is testament to your amazing writing.
November 13, 2013
Every now and then a book comes along that reminds me why I love to read and why it is so important. A good book allows us to be transported, to walk in someone else’s shoes, to learn, to love, to empathise – this book does all this and more.
Tara is 17 years old, her father is debilitated by a stroke, her mother is emotionally removed and angry, and Tara has just found out her beloved sisters death was suicide.
Through her love of painting Tara finds a connection with Vincent van Gogh’s art and his tragic life, this theme continues throughout the book. Her art and her friendship with a Professor she cares for in the rest home where she works afterschool, and his grandson Johannes are her light and her hope in a world where sadness, bitterness, and anger are all consuming.
Tara’s journey takes us to the depths of despair, the highs of first love, the belonging that is family, and ultimately forgiveness.
Tara is 17 years old, her father is debilitated by a stroke, her mother is emotionally removed and angry, and Tara has just found out her beloved sisters death was suicide.
Through her love of painting Tara finds a connection with Vincent van Gogh’s art and his tragic life, this theme continues throughout the book. Her art and her friendship with a Professor she cares for in the rest home where she works afterschool, and his grandson Johannes are her light and her hope in a world where sadness, bitterness, and anger are all consuming.
Tara’s journey takes us to the depths of despair, the highs of first love, the belonging that is family, and ultimately forgiveness.
October 5, 2015
I chose this book because I fell in love with the cover. I love Vincent Van Gogh's works, and Starry Night is a particular favourite.
In Dear Vincent Mandy Hager interweaves the stories of troubled teen Tara McClusky with her fascination with Vincent Van Gogh and the tragic story of her sister's death five years previously. Tara's parents are harsh and her life is hard since her father's stroke as she shares the around-the clock care with her bitter aggressive mother, afternoon shifts at a nursing home, and a lonely existence at school. The only bright spots are her fond memories of her big sister Van (Vanessa) and her passionate talent for art. As part of her scholarship, Tara has studied Vincent's letters and has decided to recreate six of his paintings with her own personal touch. When she accidently learns the brutal facts about her sister Van's death, her life rapidly spins out of control propelling her halfway across the world to find answers and pushes her towards drastic actions. Will the concern shown by her art teacher, school counsellor, and, new found friends, the elderly Max and handsome and cute Johannes, be enough? The book is set in New Zealand (probably Auckland) with cameos in Ireland and Paris, including the D’Orsay Musee.
I loved the references to Vincent's life and letters and to Tara's artistic talent. I appreciated the deft way that Hagar intertwines these positive themes with the darker themes of abuse, depression, suicide and the cruel legacy of the past. This book doesn't hold back. It is peppered with strong language and dark themes, yet, it also touches on beauty and hope.
There is a touch of a 'fairy tale' at times and I was astounded when Tara's aunt virtually shows her how to do it (what was she thinking?). I also a little wary that in the spirit of 'show don't tell' two methods of suicide are 'shown' in detail (though I guess realistically they are common and well known methods).
Nevertheless, the book was gripping and moving. Having lost a beloved brother to suicide and knowing the scourge it is among teens - I'm glad to see a book that tackles these issues in a realistic and hopeful way.
In Dear Vincent Mandy Hager interweaves the stories of troubled teen Tara McClusky with her fascination with Vincent Van Gogh and the tragic story of her sister's death five years previously. Tara's parents are harsh and her life is hard since her father's stroke as she shares the around-the clock care with her bitter aggressive mother, afternoon shifts at a nursing home, and a lonely existence at school. The only bright spots are her fond memories of her big sister Van (Vanessa) and her passionate talent for art. As part of her scholarship, Tara has studied Vincent's letters and has decided to recreate six of his paintings with her own personal touch. When she accidently learns the brutal facts about her sister Van's death, her life rapidly spins out of control propelling her halfway across the world to find answers and pushes her towards drastic actions. Will the concern shown by her art teacher, school counsellor, and, new found friends, the elderly Max and handsome and cute Johannes, be enough? The book is set in New Zealand (probably Auckland) with cameos in Ireland and Paris, including the D’Orsay Musee.
I loved the references to Vincent's life and letters and to Tara's artistic talent. I appreciated the deft way that Hagar intertwines these positive themes with the darker themes of abuse, depression, suicide and the cruel legacy of the past. This book doesn't hold back. It is peppered with strong language and dark themes, yet, it also touches on beauty and hope.
There is a touch of a 'fairy tale' at times and I was astounded when Tara's aunt virtually shows her how to do it (what was she thinking?). I also a little wary that in the spirit of 'show don't tell' two methods of suicide are 'shown' in detail (though I guess realistically they are common and well known methods).
Nevertheless, the book was gripping and moving. Having lost a beloved brother to suicide and knowing the scourge it is among teens - I'm glad to see a book that tackles these issues in a realistic and hopeful way.
August 9, 2018
It's only less one star because it was so good at portraying the mood of the story that I feel all angry and angsty still, so I'm not blown away. I mean, it's so good that those feelings have stayed with me and I'm very emotional right now.
So the take away:
Good book, recommend.
Me = emotional.
So the take away:
Good book, recommend.
Me = emotional.
June 18, 2015
No punches pulled on this novel from the award winning NZ author Mandy Hager.
Love, Family, Secrets and everything to draw you in, make you cry and love this book!
Love, Family, Secrets and everything to draw you in, make you cry and love this book!
May 14, 2019
This book had the most beautiful imagery and put me in a good mood for the rest of the night.
October 15, 2021
I haven't read a book this emotionally driven in a very long time. It came to my attention through a friend who ranks this as one of his favourite books, and I would have to say after some long nights staying up to devour this story, and finding myself lost in its pages; I feel the same.
Dear Vincent is about a young girl called Tara. She has very difficult family circumstances (forgive the vagueness, I am trying to stay spoiler-free) and releases a lot of her feelings and stress through her art. Her Dad is ill, and she and her Mother have to care for him. We also learn that her older sister committed suicide. Tara's connections to her parents are numb, and the relationships strained.
Though my own life doesn't reflect to Tara's circumstances, the raw insight to her mind and the way she dealt with what she had gone through made her very easy to connect with, and relate too. I find in YA books that often, too often, teenagers aren't presented as inherently complex. They make questionable choices, and their thoughts don't stem much further than what is happening before them.
I was very refreshed to find that in Dear Vincent, this was not the case at all. Not only Tara, but all the characters, were immensely complex. Plagued by the questions we all stumble through at some time or another in our lives, and the hurt that comes with the mere human condition; loving and betrayal. What lack of love does to us. How we find it again. How betrayal over and over again shapes us. How melancholy can be tempting. How hope is always the answer, but not always the easy way.
Tara develops a friendship with a resident in the retirement village/care home she works in, with a man named Max. I found this friendship very touching. It was of course, a cross generational friendship, and the lessons Max had learned over his life, were relayed to Tara. Though her journey incredibly different she was able to connect to his philosophies and persistence despite, though in a different way to Tara too, experiencing unimaginably hard things.
There is so much more I want to say about this story- but I am plagued by the desire for more people to read it, and to therefore keep this spoiler free!
I will say this book is very important to me personally, now, and it made me think, made me grow, made me imagine circumstances unlike any of my own and empathize with them.
It touched me. Made me weep, and made me smile. A character, not unlike myself, who made me angry at her careless decisions, but not in a frustrated sense. In a sense that I cared deeply about her and her life, like a friend would. And I didn't want anything to happen to that friend
It is strange and magical to be that deeply transported into worlds on a page.
And as a creative, the insight Tara gives into the way art makes her feel, resonated with me completely. The way colours link to experiences and moments. The way she pressed her digital camera up to every sight she saw, to capture it for a painting later on. The way sometimes she had to create. It kept her sane. I get that, and it was cool to see it within a character. I don't know I have much before. Or at least if I have it hasn't stuck with me quite like this time.
(I do want to add that this story does deal with self harm, and themes of suicide and death. It is emotionally heavy, and I think best avoided for anyone sensitive too, or around those topics. Having worked my way through similar struggles, I still had moments where I had to put my bookmark in and leave it on my bedside table for a day or so. Being able to understand the emotional impact fictional material has on you is important with this one. I really do think that for some it needs to be proceeded with caution.
Heavy themes can put a real blinder on hope, when we aren't able or ready to manage them. So I do think proceed with caution and some personal discernment).
Dear Vincent is about a young girl called Tara. She has very difficult family circumstances (forgive the vagueness, I am trying to stay spoiler-free) and releases a lot of her feelings and stress through her art. Her Dad is ill, and she and her Mother have to care for him. We also learn that her older sister committed suicide. Tara's connections to her parents are numb, and the relationships strained.
Though my own life doesn't reflect to Tara's circumstances, the raw insight to her mind and the way she dealt with what she had gone through made her very easy to connect with, and relate too. I find in YA books that often, too often, teenagers aren't presented as inherently complex. They make questionable choices, and their thoughts don't stem much further than what is happening before them.
I was very refreshed to find that in Dear Vincent, this was not the case at all. Not only Tara, but all the characters, were immensely complex. Plagued by the questions we all stumble through at some time or another in our lives, and the hurt that comes with the mere human condition; loving and betrayal. What lack of love does to us. How we find it again. How betrayal over and over again shapes us. How melancholy can be tempting. How hope is always the answer, but not always the easy way.
Tara develops a friendship with a resident in the retirement village/care home she works in, with a man named Max. I found this friendship very touching. It was of course, a cross generational friendship, and the lessons Max had learned over his life, were relayed to Tara. Though her journey incredibly different she was able to connect to his philosophies and persistence despite, though in a different way to Tara too, experiencing unimaginably hard things.
There is so much more I want to say about this story- but I am plagued by the desire for more people to read it, and to therefore keep this spoiler free!
I will say this book is very important to me personally, now, and it made me think, made me grow, made me imagine circumstances unlike any of my own and empathize with them.
It touched me. Made me weep, and made me smile. A character, not unlike myself, who made me angry at her careless decisions, but not in a frustrated sense. In a sense that I cared deeply about her and her life, like a friend would. And I didn't want anything to happen to that friend
It is strange and magical to be that deeply transported into worlds on a page.
And as a creative, the insight Tara gives into the way art makes her feel, resonated with me completely. The way colours link to experiences and moments. The way she pressed her digital camera up to every sight she saw, to capture it for a painting later on. The way sometimes she had to create. It kept her sane. I get that, and it was cool to see it within a character. I don't know I have much before. Or at least if I have it hasn't stuck with me quite like this time.
(I do want to add that this story does deal with self harm, and themes of suicide and death. It is emotionally heavy, and I think best avoided for anyone sensitive too, or around those topics. Having worked my way through similar struggles, I still had moments where I had to put my bookmark in and leave it on my bedside table for a day or so. Being able to understand the emotional impact fictional material has on you is important with this one. I really do think that for some it needs to be proceeded with caution.
Heavy themes can put a real blinder on hope, when we aren't able or ready to manage them. So I do think proceed with caution and some personal discernment).
August 12, 2013
This is so so sad, I had dreams about it, I thought about it, I carried it around in my mind. While I read it I kept remembering watching the news as a child, those Irish troubles which were on the news night after night, Bernadette Devlin, Bloody Sunday, things I didn't really understand as a child but which filled our lounge with stories of grief and anger. I never really thought about the people behind those stories but this book bought that aspect home to me in technicolor, unlike the stories I watched in black and white as a kid. Amongst the sadness and grief of this story of suicide and grief there is hope, there is love and there is the belief that things can get better. I loved the story of Vincent Van Gogh as a young adult and this book bought memories of the Irving Stone novel Lust for Life which I read when I was abut 16, a book I adored. So with memories stirring and with interesting characters, this is a book to make you think, to make you feel and to make you value your life. I particularly loved the passage at the end where the author has written about the topic, about asking for help and about what it feels like to lose someone close to you. I liked the comments at the end and their pointy sharpness as much as the book itself.
June 28, 2015
1)I chose to read this book because the Vincent Van Gogh artwork on the cover caught my eye and I wanted to know what the book was about, so I read the blurb and decided i would read the book.
2)A character in this book I found interesting was Tara McClusky. What made her interesting for me was how much she loved art and painting and how she would use it to express how she was feeling at that moment. Also I found that she was really easy to relate to which helped me see things from her perspective more easily and it made me more eager to keep on reading the book to find out what would happen next.
3)A quote that I liked from this book was "Did she look into her future and see no glimmer of relief,overwhelmed by shades of black and grey?Oh, Van! Don't you know that all colours are transformed by simple shifts of light?". I liked this quote because in the book I think it was trying to convey that life is unpredictable and filled with possibilities and that situations and emotions can change in an instant which I think is really positive.
4)Something i thought more deeply about after reading this book was the idea of not blocking out or ignoring a painful past but confronting it in order to heal.
2)A character in this book I found interesting was Tara McClusky. What made her interesting for me was how much she loved art and painting and how she would use it to express how she was feeling at that moment. Also I found that she was really easy to relate to which helped me see things from her perspective more easily and it made me more eager to keep on reading the book to find out what would happen next.
3)A quote that I liked from this book was "Did she look into her future and see no glimmer of relief,overwhelmed by shades of black and grey?Oh, Van! Don't you know that all colours are transformed by simple shifts of light?". I liked this quote because in the book I think it was trying to convey that life is unpredictable and filled with possibilities and that situations and emotions can change in an instant which I think is really positive.
4)Something i thought more deeply about after reading this book was the idea of not blocking out or ignoring a painful past but confronting it in order to heal.
June 1, 2016
This book is about Tara, who is a talented painter, and her trying to cope with her sister's death and her family situation. Her dad had multiple strokes and she has to care for him and work every day after school, until it all gets too much.
Every chapter begins with a quote from one of Vincent van Gogh's letters. The van Gogh type is actually what made me pick the book up; Starry Night just stared at me from the cover.
Even though the protagonist has serious problems (I really hope she'll get help like her mum did) and I sometimes couldn't relate to her choices, I really liked her and reading about her.
My favourite character is Max, and not just because he's Austrian.
Even though I'm not that interested into painting, the descriptions let me see why Tara loves it so much. The author did a great job describing how she feels about it.
The only thing I didn't like was the Catholicism. It seemed to really influence some choices but wasn't really talked about enough; I didn't feel like the family was very religious but they judged religiously.
Every chapter begins with a quote from one of Vincent van Gogh's letters. The van Gogh type is actually what made me pick the book up; Starry Night just stared at me from the cover.
Even though the protagonist has serious problems (I really hope she'll get help like her mum did) and I sometimes couldn't relate to her choices, I really liked her and reading about her.
My favourite character is Max, and not just because he's Austrian.
Even though I'm not that interested into painting, the descriptions let me see why Tara loves it so much. The author did a great job describing how she feels about it.
The only thing I didn't like was the Catholicism. It seemed to really influence some choices but wasn't really talked about enough; I didn't feel like the family was very religious but they judged religiously.
October 2, 2015
It's difficult to know how to rate and review this book. After I first read some, I was annoyed that the main character was unusually talented, erudite, articulate and admired by all the adults in the book (excepting her parents). People who are depressed, having a hard time coping with their life or events in it, or thinking about suicide are normal people, who don't necessarily have a particular talent or the support of caring adults. I suppose they're not novel-worthy. Once I'd read more, I was a bit more accepting of Tara's talents; after all, like many real people, she was unable to articulate much of how she was feeling. She's someone, too. Then, the end.
October 12, 2022
I don't know if any book has ever struck me as hard as this one. I don't think I've ever thought of a book as magic until this one. I don't think a book has stuck with me this long until this one. I first read this four whole years ago, and it remains one of the most affecting books I've ever read. Maybe to another it wouldn't be all I say it is, but I have never met such twisted, imperfect, lifelike characters within pages before. It's taken me four years to figure out how to express all the things I feel about this book. At fourteen and still today, I saw and I still see myself in Tara in inexplicable ways; I feel each ounce of her pain like it's my own, like it's my own memory, months after reading. It is difficult to take subjects such as this and portray them in a way that neither demeans and belittles them, nor romanticises them, but purely makes you understand, in a very real way, the reality and the truth of them. All the mentions of wonderful Vincent may have helped, too.
May 27, 2013
A heart-felt and searing story about a teenage girl battling problems with her dysfunctional family. Everything seems to be going against Tara - until friends appear unexpectedly in her life. But she still has demons to tackle, and a trip to Ireland to visit her sister's grave brings another challenge - the most dangerous one yet. You'll reach the last page with tears in your eyes. Heartily recommended for a riveting read.
January 12, 2015
I thought this book was really great, I felt like it made me love and appreciate Vincent Van Gogh's work even more than I already did and I just thought it had a very strong presence over all. Reading it made me sad, joyful and generally worried over characters fates. I recommend this book a lot, it's a bit heavy to read in parts, as it does touch on the subject of suicide, but it still manages to create an uplifting feeling. All in all, a fantastic novel.
December 28, 2014
The subject matter in this book is sad but it's done in a very sensitive way and the book is very good and not a difficult read, I thought perhaps it could have been deeper but as it's partly a YA book perhaps for the best, I loved the descriptions of the Van Gogh paintings ,my favourite artist. And had no hesitation in giving it 4 stars and would recommend.
September 9, 2015
Wonderful book, that I would highly recommend for anyone, particularly teens. Deals with very gritty subject matter such as suicide and dysfunctional families. Its very 'real' feeling and doesn't glamorise or gloss over anything.
June 29, 2017
A hugely complex, emotional book that takes the reader almost to the edge of Tara's despair and then reins her back. There is a wisdom which pervades this writing that makes this a book that isn't 'try hard' or superficial. I loved Tara's grittiness and the way she comes out of her darkness.
December 23, 2014
I've just finished reading this and suspect I will be thinking about it for some time yet. Big themes, big anger, big love...amazing for a small book.
It has also made me really want to go back to the Musee d'Orsay and stare at Van Gogh's. They are quite something in the flesh.
It has also made me really want to go back to the Musee d'Orsay and stare at Van Gogh's. They are quite something in the flesh.
July 25, 2018
I can't remember now why I wanted to read this book. Did it have good reviews? I bought it in eBay because I couldn't find it anywhere in the USA. I didn't care for hardly any of the characters. I am not sure why Van Gogh's name had to be associated with this book.
March 12, 2023
3.5
V redu knjiga sam tko mau se vleče ampak priporočam, ker ma tako močno tematiko in je dobro razložena. Sam ne brati, če si na ful nizki točki življenja. Pa dobro mi je razložila kako se počutijo osebe ko ti umre res bljižna oseba ( poznam jih dost)
V redu knjiga sam tko mau se vleče ampak priporočam, ker ma tako močno tematiko in je dobro razložena. Sam ne brati, če si na ful nizki točki življenja. Pa dobro mi je razložila kako se počutijo osebe ko ti umre res bljižna oseba ( poznam jih dost)
February 2, 2015
Actual rating 4.5 stars.
*sighs* THIS BOOK. Gives me alllllll the emotions every time, I tell you. *dreamy smile* Sooooo good!
*sighs* THIS BOOK. Gives me alllllll the emotions every time, I tell you. *dreamy smile* Sooooo good!
June 27, 2016
Very touching, beautifully written and deeply relatable.
August 4, 2018
"For God's sake, tell me how to deal with this anger, this storm inside. Yours ate away at you; built into moods so dark they warped your mind. How the hell do I stop that from happening to me?"
I had my eyes on this story for a while and let me tell you, it didn't disappoint me at all. We need this kind of YA contemporaries a lot more.
Tara is a teenager with a lot of on her plate; at the beginning she finds out that the sister she had lost five years ago was it because of suicide, a violent mother, her dad had two strokes and she has to take care of him, her family is broke so she works part time in a rest home while going to school. How does Tara copes with all of this shit? Painting.
I adore Van Gogh, his letters and his paintings always move me so much, so the whole concept of the book was quite attractive. Tara is doing her own "reimaginings" of Van Gogh's paints in order to get a scholarship, while struggling to know the reasons of her sister suicide, and trying to find a way to talk with her mother, who only likes to point out how much she hates her.
Tara is a very smart and talented character, an excellent protagonist with a big heart, but she is so full of questions, and she doesn't know if she's strong enough to deal with the answers. I was kind of disappointed with the fact that Tara barely writes to Van Gogh, there are only 3 letters if I remember correctly, and even though I loved them I was expecting more of those, after all the book is called "Dear Vincent", though the beginning of each chapter is headed with a passage of different Vincent's letters to his brother Theo, and that was wonderful so I guess it's fine.
Besides that, and the fact I didn't care about the romantic interest, this book is unique and well-written, it was as good as I expected to be.
"You've proved to me that any uniqueness we create lives on - so long as someone chooses to sustain it in their hearts."
It's a very intense, dark book that talks about family, secrets of the past, loss, love, future and art. I don't need to say more.
I had my eyes on this story for a while and let me tell you, it didn't disappoint me at all. We need this kind of YA contemporaries a lot more.
Tara is a teenager with a lot of on her plate; at the beginning she finds out that the sister she had lost five years ago was it because of suicide, a violent mother, her dad had two strokes and she has to take care of him, her family is broke so she works part time in a rest home while going to school. How does Tara copes with all of this shit? Painting.
I adore Van Gogh, his letters and his paintings always move me so much, so the whole concept of the book was quite attractive. Tara is doing her own "reimaginings" of Van Gogh's paints in order to get a scholarship, while struggling to know the reasons of her sister suicide, and trying to find a way to talk with her mother, who only likes to point out how much she hates her.
Tara is a very smart and talented character, an excellent protagonist with a big heart, but she is so full of questions, and she doesn't know if she's strong enough to deal with the answers. I was kind of disappointed with the fact that Tara barely writes to Van Gogh, there are only 3 letters if I remember correctly, and even though I loved them I was expecting more of those, after all the book is called "Dear Vincent", though the beginning of each chapter is headed with a passage of different Vincent's letters to his brother Theo, and that was wonderful so I guess it's fine.
Besides that, and the fact I didn't care about the romantic interest, this book is unique and well-written, it was as good as I expected to be.
"You've proved to me that any uniqueness we create lives on - so long as someone chooses to sustain it in their hearts."
It's a very intense, dark book that talks about family, secrets of the past, loss, love, future and art. I don't need to say more.
September 24, 2021
I love reading YA novels because when they're well-written the plot moves forward, the characters are defined, and they can touch on adult themes while often containing hope and light (at least, by the end).
This novel follows Tara, a 17 year-old New Zealander struggling with an intensely traumatic family life. She does not have a good relationship with her parents, although she shares responsibility for the caretaking of her bed-ridden father in the six years since his crippling stroke. And she's just found out her precious older sister's death was not an accident (as her mother told her) but a suicide.
Tara processes her grief and despair through her talented artwork, and her relationship with the long-dead artist Vincent Van Gogh. She is lucky to meet an ally in the retirement home where she works as well, an elderly philosophy professor who gives her some stability in a time of grief.
Tara struggles with intensely dark themes: abandonment, suicide, inherited trauma (her parents had come to New Zealand to escape the Troubles of Northern Ireland), and explores the deeper question of why we must suffer in life.
While I had a difficult time with Tara's journey to accept and forgive her emotionally, verbally, and often physically abusive parents, I did find a lot of power in her ascension through art. Her ability to channel her grief, confusion, and pain into her artwork and her relationship with the art masters was a positive framework within the novel.
It was well-written, visual, and emotion-invoking. Some very dark themes for young adults, but given adequate exploration and thought in its narrative.
This novel follows Tara, a 17 year-old New Zealander struggling with an intensely traumatic family life. She does not have a good relationship with her parents, although she shares responsibility for the caretaking of her bed-ridden father in the six years since his crippling stroke. And she's just found out her precious older sister's death was not an accident (as her mother told her) but a suicide.
Tara processes her grief and despair through her talented artwork, and her relationship with the long-dead artist Vincent Van Gogh. She is lucky to meet an ally in the retirement home where she works as well, an elderly philosophy professor who gives her some stability in a time of grief.
Tara struggles with intensely dark themes: abandonment, suicide, inherited trauma (her parents had come to New Zealand to escape the Troubles of Northern Ireland), and explores the deeper question of why we must suffer in life.
While I had a difficult time with Tara's journey to accept and forgive her emotionally, verbally, and often physically abusive parents, I did find a lot of power in her ascension through art. Her ability to channel her grief, confusion, and pain into her artwork and her relationship with the art masters was a positive framework within the novel.
It was well-written, visual, and emotion-invoking. Some very dark themes for young adults, but given adequate exploration and thought in its narrative.
May 3, 2020
This is not only a 5-star book, it's a "touched my heart" book.
The story is heartbreaking, it's almost triggering at times: I cried a handful of times.
Grief, suicide and abuse are not easy subjects but it's been beautifully done here. I have rarely felt as strongly as I felt for Tara: I wanted to take her in my arms and whisper in her ear that everything would be okay in the end. That's how much I ended up caring about her.
I have absolutely loved the references to Van Gogh and his works. It somehow gave colours to a rather bleak story. Tara's "obsession"/relationship with his life and art was eye opening really.
I feel like I have to mention Max and Johannes who were great characters! and somehow surprising influences?
The words! This was extremely well and gorgeously written. It made me want to copy some passages everywhere! (I might have tweeted a couple of quotes because, arrrrgg I wish I could write words like these)
I'll finish by saying that is was tragically beautiful and beautifully hopeful.
The story is heartbreaking, it's almost triggering at times: I cried a handful of times.
Grief, suicide and abuse are not easy subjects but it's been beautifully done here. I have rarely felt as strongly as I felt for Tara: I wanted to take her in my arms and whisper in her ear that everything would be okay in the end. That's how much I ended up caring about her.
I have absolutely loved the references to Van Gogh and his works. It somehow gave colours to a rather bleak story. Tara's "obsession"/relationship with his life and art was eye opening really.
I feel like I have to mention Max and Johannes who were great characters! and somehow surprising influences?
The words! This was extremely well and gorgeously written. It made me want to copy some passages everywhere! (I might have tweeted a couple of quotes because, arrrrgg I wish I could write words like these)
I'll finish by saying that is was tragically beautiful and beautifully hopeful.
Read
May 28, 2025Dear Vincent is a book by Mandy Hager about a girl named Tara struggling with her family after the mysterious death of her sister, Van, and finding comfort through art, specifically Vincent Van Gogh. I really like how they showed the importance of mental health, which I think should be shown more in characters and books. There wasn't really anything I didn't like about it except that the writing style made it a bit difficult for the book to hold my attention sometimes. However, it was a pretty good book, so I'd recommend this to young adults who like a little bit of mystery and coming of age stories, or that might be struggling with grief. However, there is a lot of talk of suicide, so if you get triggered by that, you should probably stay away from reading this. Overall, I'd rate this book 3.5/5 because there wasn't really anything bad about it, except the writing style wasn't my favorite and I feel like there should've been more of a warning or disclaimer about the mention of suicide so that people know and don't end up getting triggered.
May 27, 2025
Dear Vincent by Mandy Hager is a novel with remarkable depth and emotional intensity, exploring the emotions of grief, healing, and self-discovery. The story follows 17-year-old Tara McClusky, who finds solace in art, particularly the works of Vincent van Gogh, as she navigates through personal struggles and seeking understanding.
Anyone would enjoy this book. While its cover may be plain and quite simple, the novel itself delivers a moving and thought-provoking story. Even when I first came across Dear Vincent, I assumed it was a poetry book and dismissed it without much thought. However, upon reading, I discovered it was quite the opposite. The writing was raw and unique that lingers long even after the final page.
I would give it a 4.5 Dear Vincent is a beautifully written, intense and moving novel that lingers long after the final page. Even Despite its simple cover, the story inside is captivating, heartfelt, and unforgettable.
Anyone would enjoy this book. While its cover may be plain and quite simple, the novel itself delivers a moving and thought-provoking story. Even when I first came across Dear Vincent, I assumed it was a poetry book and dismissed it without much thought. However, upon reading, I discovered it was quite the opposite. The writing was raw and unique that lingers long even after the final page.
I would give it a 4.5 Dear Vincent is a beautifully written, intense and moving novel that lingers long after the final page. Even Despite its simple cover, the story inside is captivating, heartfelt, and unforgettable.
May 27, 2025
The book "Dear Vincent" by Mandy Hager follows a teenager named Tara. It explores her journey through grief and her passion for painting, highlighting the void left by her deceased sister and the struggles of her broken family.
Mandy Hager does a great job of incorporating emotions into her writing. She enhances the reading experience through details and art.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has a lot of feelings and has a deep empathy for people. I would also recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand what despair and desperation may look like.
Overall, I would rate this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. The writing is exceptionally beautiful, with vivid descriptions and a compelling narrative style that draws the reader in. Each character is well-developed and relatable, making it easy to become invested in their journeys.
Mandy Hager does a great job of incorporating emotions into her writing. She enhances the reading experience through details and art.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has a lot of feelings and has a deep empathy for people. I would also recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand what despair and desperation may look like.
Overall, I would rate this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. The writing is exceptionally beautiful, with vivid descriptions and a compelling narrative style that draws the reader in. Each character is well-developed and relatable, making it easy to become invested in their journeys.
July 19, 2017
3.5 stars, rounding up to 4. It loses points because I am beyond sick of seeing rape as tragic backstory in my fiction. However, the way that Vincent van Gogh is integrated into this book is so excellent (he's one of my favourite artists) that it almost makes up for it. It's a compelling read that's relatively low on the melodrama, which can't have been easy given the subject matter, but that low-key approach makes it all the more effective. The main character is relatable and I felt for her a lot - the unending rain of misery that is her teenage life would be unbearable in the hands of another character. Yet Tara's able to keep her dreams and basic kindness alive and so I was really invested in her getting a happy (happier?) ending.
December 21, 2017
It's not uncommon for people, friends, myself, to underestimate YA fiction. However, Dear Vincent is a slap in the face for those who do. It's wonderfully written, and unafraid to venture into deeper waters without any kitsch to it. I think it could strike anyone's heart, but as a teenager Dear Vincent really captures teenage struggle (not that mine are any where as serious as Tara's). For me, that helps immensely because often one feels alone in their struggles without realising that no one is impervious to it - Dear Vincent served as a reminder to that. But it's not all heavy and sad; Tara's solaces are wonderful to read and filled with warmth.
This book has it all right, and it's even more than that.
This book has it all right, and it's even more than that.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews